Kim Taehyung of BTS announces baseball debut with the LA Dodgers; breaks MLB site as ARMY clamours for tickets
The Dodgers might be playing the Reds, but the main attraction is BTS’ V, who will be making his pitching debut on the mound next week
The BTS boys have always had a thing for sports. Whether it was Suga — or Agust D as fans know him — taking on his role as a global ambassador for the NBA, or the members popping up courtside just to soak in the fun of a match, ARMY has often seen them mixing music with athletics. But this time, things have taken a whole new turn. The Los Angeles Dodgers just announced that Kim Taehyung, better known as V, will be the guest of honour at their August 25 game against the Cincinnati Reds.
The team set the internet ablaze when they tweeted: “ARMY, you ready? V will be at Dodger Stadium on 8/25 to throw out the ceremonial first pitch!” If that sounds familiar, it’s because sports leagues are clearly catching on to the “celebrity effect.” Just look back to when the Super Bowl turned into a cultural event for Swifties. According to a Variety report, 20% of 2024 Super Bowl viewers admitted they were rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs purely because of Travis Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift. The poll by consumer research firm Numerator came right after the Chiefs sealed their 25-22 overtime win against the San Francisco 49ers.
It looks like the Dodgers seem to be aiming for that same magic, and judging by what happened next, they may have hit a home run before the game even started. Right after Major League Baseball shared the announcement, fans began reporting problems online. As one fan tweeted, “Kim Taehyung will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on August 25th! The ticket website is currently down after the official announcement.”
Naturally, ARMY was quick to react. One fan summed it up simply with: “That's the power of the Kim Taehyung.” Another joked about the timing of their ticket hunt, writing: “The website crashed the second it was announced, dodgers fans please don’t be mad but yall had time to get tickets before us.” And of course, someone else couldn’t resist spelling it out: “LMAO ARMY CRASHED THE WEBSITE TO GET TICKETS TO BE THERE.”
None of this is out of character for Taehyung, who seems to carry chaos and charm wherever he goes. This won’t even be his first public appearance since enlisting; he’s already made headlines at Paris Fashion Week as Celine’s ambassador and stirred buzz with high-profile deals, including a controversial campaign with Coca-Cola and a new partnership as the face of Compose Coffee.
